Through an award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Diagnostic Excellence Initiative, an ACR® technical expert panel (TEP) developing The Closing the Results Follow-Up Loop Measure Set continues to refine the quality measures’ specifications, which assess follow-up of incidental findings on imaging exams.
To date, the panel has participated in multiple web meetings to discuss ways to adequately and appropriately measure radiologists and clinicians according to each measures’ unique concept. They also analyzed particular components of real-world workflows and barriers of today’s closing the follow-up loop processes.
Public Comment Period
An initial comment period provides the public with an opportunity to view and offer feedback on the draft set of measures. During the comment period, which will be open through Jan. 7, 2021, the ACR invites interested stakeholders to view the measure set and provide input on the measures’ feasibility in practice, data capture and the ability to measure intended actions.
Comments will provide specific details on the quality measures to inform the TEP on ways to ensure the measures are actionable and useable in practice. The measures will then undergo testing by interested radiology groups and facilities, and eventually become part of the ACR National Radiology Data Registry. Please contact measuredevelopment@acr.org for more testing participation information.
Call to Action
We invite all radiologists to participate in upcoming activities, which support the continued development of the measure set, including:
- Volunteer as a measure testing site. The measure testing phase of development is integral to the quality measures’ success to improve the targeted measure populations’ quality of care. By participating in testing, the measures will be implemented in routine practice as we pinpoint feasibility and other issues in real-time.
- Invite commenters to share their views. The second-round public comment period will open in early 2021. The format will include regular posts of the most current measures with revisions based on public comment.
To learn more about these activities and the measure development process (including panel meeting summaries and other activities), watch the Closing the Results Follow-Up Loop page for the sign-up form to become a measure tester. The webpage will also include the portal for the second-round comment period when it becomes available.